Xam’s Daily Gems:
Orioles Money Line -135 DraftKings 10 Units
The Orioles have been struggling lately, losing the first 2 games of their series against the Padres and losing 6 of their last 10 games overall. Their lead in the AL East is just a skinny game, so they NEED to get back on track with a win. Albert Suarez gets the ball and he’s been quite impressive this year, posting a 3.48 ERA. He’s struggled over his last 7 starts though, and is coming off 2 straight subpar outings. Having said that, he’s been GREAT at Camden Yards, pitching to a 2.91 ERA and just a 1.09 WHIP! On the other hand, San Diego’s starter, Randy Vasquez, has left A LOT to be desired. He’s been inconsistent overall this year with much of his struggles coming on the road! The Orioles KNOW they NEED this game. They have the better starting pitcher AND have the urgency. Manager Brandon Hyde will likely use any and every elite bullpen arm he has to try and get this win, and we know the Orioles have an EXCELLENT lineup!
Braves Money Line +104 FanDuel 10 Units
The Braves seek to earn a split in their 4-game series against the Mets. They are sending Reynaldo Lopez to the mound to do that. Lopez has been nothing short of FANTASTIC for the Braves, pitching to the tune of a 2.12 ERA this year. His numbers also don’t change much whether he’s pitching on the road or at home. He dominated the Mets to the tune of 6 scoreless innings when these two teams faced off in early April. The Mets counter with southpaw David Peterson, who’s pitched well this year as well. However, the Braves have proven to be his NEMESIS over the year, as Peterson has pitched to a 5.12 ERA against them in 11 appearances. The key will be what the Braves can do offensively. It’s been a struggle for them as they continue dealing with the fallout of losing Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies to injury. However, they have scored 4 runs in back-to-back games and did hit 3 home runs yesterday. Manager Brian Snitker will SURELY use his premium relievers in this one as he looks to ensure the Braves keep hold on the top wildcard spot. The Mets don’t have a good bullpen and that’ll be under duress today!
Twins Money Line -154 FanDuel 10 Units
The Twins are looking to capture a series win against a division rival today, and send Bailey Ober to the mound. He’s been excellent in his last 7 starts, pitching to a 2.80 ERA and his last 6 starts ALL being quality starts (6 innings, 3 earned runs or less, or better). This stretch includes his last start against the Tigers at the beginning of this month. He’s DOMINATED the Tigers this year, in fact. In 3 starts, he’s gone 6 innings in EACH start and given up a TOTAL of 2 earned runs! The Tigers counter with Alex Faedo, who’s turned in an ugly 4.66 ERA in his last 7 appearances. He’s mostly turned into a reliever for the Tigers, so the Tigers may end up using multiple pitchers for multiple innings and turn this into a bullpen game. The Twins NEED this game. They’re just 1 game up on the Royals for the 2nd Wild Card spot but also are only 4.5 games back of the Guardians for the division lead in the AL Central! Expect manager Rocco Baldelli to manage with URGENCY and get his team a series win, using ALL of his ELITE bullpen arms to lock it down!
Brewers Money Line -200 BetMGM 10 Units
Are the Brewers REALLY going to be swept AT HOME by the Marlins?! We’ve been burned by the Brewers so far in this series but WE BELIEVE IN THEM! Tobias Myers takes his turn in the rotation, and he’s been good since he got called up. His 3.14 ERA through 15 appearances (14 starts) is impressive, but that drops to a 2.32 ERA over his last 7 starts! The Marlins counter with Kyle Tyler. Tyler has been okay since coming up, pitching to a 3.92 ERA. However, his WHIP (Walks + Hits in Innings Pitched) sits at 1.45, which means A LOT of batters are getting on base. He has multiple walks in each of his last 4 appearances, all of them starts. Simply put, the Brewers NEED this game. Their offense has gone downhill since Christian Yelich got hurt. Tyler SHOULD give them opportunities to score. If they can, the brewers, SHOULD be able to contain a weak Marlins lineup and salvage a game in this series.
Royals -1 -135 DraftKings 10 Units
Coming into the season, the Royals believed southpaw Cole Ragans was the ace of their staff. They need him to PERFORM like an ace as they send him to the mound to try and earn the series win. Cole Ragans has turned it up a notch over his last 3 starts, going 20 innings and giving up a TOTAL of 6 earned runs in that stretch. The Cubs counter with righty Javier Assad, who’s REALLY struggled lately. He has a 4.99 ERA over his last 7 starts and has ONLY pitched 30.2 innings in that stretch. He hasn’t been the same pitcher since he strained his forearm on June 23rd. Coming off the loss yesterday, the Royals SHOULD have a fully rested bullpen that’s READY TO GO! The Royals are averaging over 5 runs per game over their last 20 games, and the Cubs have struggled to score ALL YEAR! It’s a bad combination for the Cubs that SHOULD lead to a series win for the Royals today.
Dodgers/Astros Over 8.5 Runs +100 FanDuel 10 Units
These teams combined for 13 runs yesterday, and both of these teams have lineups that can light up the scoreboard. The Dodgers are tied for the most runs scored in the National League, while the Astros are averaging a WHOPPING 5.57 runs per game over their last 30 games! River Ryan makes his 1ST CAREER road start, and it comes against a FORMIDABLE opponent! The Astros should be able to work the count and rattle him early. The Astros counter with righty Spencer Arrighetti, who has struggled all season long. His 5.65 ERA leaves A LOT to be desired but he’s been even WORSE over his last 7 starts, posting an UGLY 6.15 ERA. The Dodgers have the type of lineup that SHOULD be able to take advantage. These are two lineups that have both POWER and SPEED. Don’t be surprised to see ANOTHER SLUGFEST between these two teams.
Cardinals Money Line -150 BetMGM 10 Units
The Cardinals are trying to avoid a SWEEP at the hands of the Nationals. Miles Mikolas takes the ball for the Cardinals, who has pitched well recently. He’s given up 2 earned runs or less in 3 of his last 4 starts. However, he’s ALSO given up 6 earned runs and 9 earned runs in 2 of his last 5 starts. He DOMINATED the Nationals in Washington earlier this month, pitching 6.1 scoreless innings and earning the win. So far in July, he’s pitching to a 3.80 ERA and pitched to a 4.85 ERA in June, so he’s trending in the right direction. The Nationals counter with southpaw DJ Herz, who has struggled since getting called up to the Majors. He’s been horrific on the road so far in his young career, giving up 7 earned runs in just 7 innings pitched. He ALSO got smacked around by the Cardinals, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) in just 4.1 innings. The Cardinals are only 2 games back of the last Wild Card spot, so this is an important game for them to get back on track. Don’t be surprised to see manager Oliver Marmol use EVERY SINGLE elite arm he has in that bullpen to try and salvage the last game of this series and get his team back on track.